First published in 1987, Paul Auster's debut is an astonishing and original book, containing three interconnected novels that exploit the elements of standard detective fiction to achieve a new genre that is all the more gripping for its starkness. In each story the search for clues leads to remarkable coincidences in Auster's hermetic universe, as the simple act of trailing a man ultimately becomes a startling investigation of what it means to be human. As London's Observer noted, "The New York Trilogy marks a new departure for the American novel." This book is part of the Faber Firsts series, celebrating great authors through trade paperback editions of their breakthrough novels.